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11:21 p.m. October 18th, Sunday, 106 PH (Post Hoopa Event).  Day 131.

Events:  Rhea and the girls have had an eventful 60 days of hardcore training!  What’s changed?  What new things have the squad uncovered?  Let’s find out!  Our girl started her journey on the 9th of June, and the end of registration for the Winter Indigo Cup is December 5th (47 days away).

 

Nearing the time they had to catch their train, Rhea said her goodbyes to her Wooloo friends, hugging each of them outside of the Cerulean Diggelt Express Station in its southern transit district.  They stood out of the way so as not to block the traffic, people mostly entering the shiny new building with Diglett and Dugtrio images on the front.

Cami broke away, the blue-haired young woman taking a step back to return to her little sister’s side, suddenly fighting back emotion.

“Rhea, Lori… I can’t thank you both enough for everything you’ve… you’ve done for Jade and me.  Thank you for spending so much time with me today, Rhea.  I, hah, can guess why you singled me out a lot when we were at the beach.”

Lori flashed her teeth and held up a thumb.  “It’s only money, and Our Sunshine is thoughtful like that; you’ll be telling your little sis to kick her tail into gear soon enough!”

“Only money,” Hannah repeated with a chuckle, leaving Amira’s side with notes on her phone regarding the redhead’s favorite hair products.  “You made it possible for all of us to make the jump into Silver-tier with that bet.  I can’t believe you bet against yourselves!  Wasn’t that a huge gamble?”

Amira chortled.  “You do know who you’re talking to, Hannah?”

“True!  Lori has a problem.”

“Yo, chill!”  the Unovan girl snickered.  “You’re going to make me blush, girl!  As I said, it’s only money; it wouldn’t mean a Muk without Honey Pot over here,” she boasted, throwing an arm around her shoulder, which was pretty easy given their height difference.  “We’ll watch your battle in Cerulean Gym, so send us a link to what challenge block we need to purchase.”

“Will do,” Jay said, shooting a weak glare at Rylee as the Samurai finished her fifth bag of chips.  “You have become a total food hog!”

Rylee shrugged while sucking the powder off her fingers.  “Slap me, it’s not like I want to be eating all the time…  No, that’s a lie,” she chuckled, looking off to the side at her Honedge.  “It’s Tissa’s fault, I swear; she’s always feeding off my Fortitude like a buffet.  Besides, Rhea’s eating just as much as me.”

“That’s Rhea,” Jade snorted.  “I guess when you have a crazy strong Pokemon, it can be rough.  I can’t believe you became friends with a baby Crystal Onix.”

“Ahem.”  Amira stole everyone’s attention, redirecting the conversation as she pointed to her phone time.  “It’s best to be early to time-sensitive transit options you’re unfamiliar with.”

“Solid advice as usual,” Lori chimed, releasing Rhea and bending down to allow Terri to hop onto her hand and jump to her shoulder.  “You girls should hit up a club and dance the rest of the night away, maybe catch a few boys’ eyes, hmm?  We got you all dolly-looking, so don’t waste it!”

She slid closer to bump hips with Sam, winking at the brunette while the Unova girl added a seductive hum.  “Nothing beats sleep after the high of heavy dancing and some hot lips on yours, some dirty whispers touching your flaming mind and ear!  Kiss-kiss!”

“You’re unbelievable!”  Sam laughed, and Rhea saw a few of their cheeks color at Lori’s comment and provocative twist away, hands drawing attention to her curves.  “Maybe one day we’ll be as bold as you, but you’re a special breed, Lori.”

Amira’s chest shook with silent laughter.  “Don’t mind her; she’s just down bad for a certain someone.”

“Mean!”  Lori snickered.  “Or… I can just show you around the game when we get to Silver City,” she offered, stretching her arms high over her head with a giggle, purposefully catching quite a few glances from the passerby.  “Alright, whatever you girls do, have some fun and live a little!  Later.”

“Later!”

Rhea mirrored her while bumping into Lori’s side as they made their way into the building, making her smirk and bump back; Len would have trouble competing with Kekoa because he’d somehow enchanted the purple-haired dancer.  Amira paused at the front, shifting to look across the street and taking a picture of the establishment across the street called Miracle Cycle.

It was then she noticed the giant bike superstore, a few pictures blown up on the side of the building with Ash, Red, Yellow, Misty, and several other famous Trainers or celebrities advertising their products.

“Sending it to Dawn?”  she asked, proceeding inside with her teammates.

“Mhm,” Amira whispered with a small smile.  “Dawn likes to collect all the advertisements Ash does to show him and laugh about it.  He’s so terrible with his money that, at one point, she took over his finances.  My mom was the same way…”

She sent the picture and looked down at her.  “Have you ever heard of the League Parental Support Program?”

Rhea’s ponytail weaved at her back as she shook her head.  Lori seemed to tune out as she scanned through Kekoa’s posts, silently flipping her phone around to show his Mudbray taking out his Lileep opponent with a Double Kick in Pewter Gym; it looked like they’d gotten their second Silver-tier Badge, doing the normal challenge rather than the Encrusted.

Returning her attention back to Amira, they followed the crowd through the automatic check-in area, scanning their tickets.  “What is it?”

Amira slowed on the other side as Lori got stuck with her crumpled ticket, having to swap to her phone in frustration to find the code.  “When Trainers were sent out at a much younger age, there was a program that the League instituted that allowed parents to take a cut of every battle their kid won, providing an emergency fund for them to spend wisely.”

“Can you still opt into it?”  Rhea asked, following the redhead’s sad gaze to their cursing Unovan teammate.  “It sounds like it could still have its uses…”

“Got it!”  Lori cheered, scooting through the bars that gave way as she pressed against them.  “Why are these stupid things so low?  Short people,” she answered with a grin at her.  “What are we talking about?”

Amira shook her head with a short chuckle.  “Nothing.  Let’s make sure we get on board.  Oh…”  They paused in front of a large banner across the top of the stairs leading into the earth, announcing big news.  “Diglett Express purchased Rock Tunnel Railway, bridging the tracks?  Huh.”

“What’s that mean?”  Rhea asked as they waited for the remaining few minutes before the train made its entrance.  “It’s supposed to be here at 11:45 p.m., right?”

“Mhm…”  Amira was scrolling through the Express’ website, scanning down the information as their Pokemon stayed close by.  “One second.”

Lulu was burning out the last of her energy atop Nova, yawning as she hugged the Eevee’s neck.  Terri was as alert as ever from atop Lori’s shoulders, keeping everyone around them at a distance with her tight-eyed stare, looking out for danger with Zyra on Lori’s opposite shoulder.  On the other hand, Amber and Mariah were using the phone their Trainer had purchased for them to look up products they wanted to buy for their hair and fur.

Rhea’s mouth drew together at seeing the Fire and Mythical Pokemon creating a shopping cart.  She’d thought about getting one for her girls, too, but only Mya and Alice really had the digits to carry one, and she’d probably need to get a good case; it was a gift to consider.

Amira hummed and put away her phone as the digital display signified that the train would be arriving shortly, adding a countdown.  The crowd grew excited; the new railway was becoming a buzz for Cerulean since it would connect parts of the region the Magnet Train didn’t cover.

“It looks like my dad was right.  Will it work, though?”

“About?”  Rhea felt a soft breeze rush through the large opening as the noise increased in the large boarding area.  “Are they competing with Rocket?”

The redhead shook her head with a smile as the fancy-looking bronze-themed train came to a rather quiet stop, making Rhea realize it was also using magnets.

“Rocket couldn’t get certain building rights on Western Kanto due to a rival business making deals and our reputation, but my dad speculated that the company was trying to build the infrastructure and sell it back to us at a premium.  They might be trying to push for a merger with the Magnet Train Corp that Rocket owns.  It would bump up both stock prices a fair bit, but could also be blocked due to a monopoly.”

Rhea had no clue what she was talking about, so she just smiled and nodded.

The doors slid open, allowing them to board, and Amira guided them to their private cabin.  It was a 24-hour express that extended from Cerulean all the way to Fuchsia, apparently, and by the instruction pamphlet they’d been given when getting on, the seats in their economy class section could fold down into beds.

You’d have to share with the other occupant, and it was only four per cabin, but it was fairly spacious.  She was fairly impressed by the technology put into the space.  However, Amira had purchased a 4th, empty ticket to have the cabin to themselves.

The cabin doors only opened for those who had their unique ticket key, and there was even a mini-fridge and a cart that would come down with refreshments or full-on meals if you ordered it.  She didn’t think the ride would host much of a view, yet, according to the pamphlet, there were many natural caves and underground habitats that they’d fashioned for the Pokemon that allowed the train to run through their territory; there was an emphasis that all wild Pokemon had agreed to the building project.

Putting their backpacks in the overhead luggage compartment, Amira laid out one of the beds to get some sleep as the train pulled away.   Lori settled in beside her, holding her phone up to finish browsing several sites before retiring.  Still a little wound up, Rhea curled up on the other couch, using Lori’s earbuds to listen to soothing music as she stared out the window.

After twenty minutes—with Nova and Lulu nestled in her legs—the large pane of glass showed a neon display of teal-colored lights that lined the cavern they passed through.  They entered a vast underwater lake, reflecting the colors as Pokemon floated around the alien scene.  Pillars maintained its structure, and Diglett maintained the area for the many Pokemon that lived in the zone.

The train would take a roundabout way to Saffron, curving west to HopHopHop City, and Dark City, then it would curve back to Gardenia City and pass Fennel Valley.  Sable City was next, and from there, it was a straight shot to Saffron around Sable National Park.  The entire journey would take roughly six hours, including stops, which would give them enough time to rest.

Rhea leaned back to sink into her pillow, not bothering to pull out the bed as she listened to the gentle music, closed her eyes, and drifted into her dreams.

 

* — * — *

 

The gentle strum of the smooth waterfall in Fuschia’s ninja village swayed at the corner of her drifting mind.  It was as if she could feel the cool breeze against her skin, Jason’s half-smile and laugh playing on her thoughts as he bent in to kiss her—open air met her as her eyes flew open.

“Ah-ooof!”

Coughing and rubbing her head, smacking her lips, and trying to right herself, she dizzily looked up to see Lori peeking over the edge, massaging her own head.

“Son of a…  Yo, Amira, what’s your head made of?  Acgk…”

“Not a pillow, apparently,” she grumbled, lifting herself to look over the edge of the bed.  “You okay, Rhea?”

“Pwe?”

“Nee-nee?”

“Fu-fu!”

They looked up, their other Pokemon trying to catch up with the situation as Terri stood by the window, pointing outside; they weren’t moving, a blushing wave illuminating the tunnel that flowed one way in rippling patterns.

“Did we… hit something?”  Rhea asked, crawling back to her seat as the conductor spoke over the intercom.

“My sincerest apologies, passengers, but we were given minimal warning; everything is under control.  Champion Elaine and Champion Diantha have informed me that we will need to remain stationary for at least an hour.  In the meantime, please, remain in your cabin, and the attendants will bring complimentary refreshments.  We at Diglett Express thank you for your patience and will keep you updated.”

“Pwe-pwe-pwe!”  Nova chirped, hopping up next to Terri to press her face against the glass.  “Pwe?”

Rhea rolled around her sore arm, having landed on it.  “Yeah, I bet your mom would be with her…  Wait, did he say Diantha was here, too?  Isn’t she like… 3 months pregnant?”

Lori reached into the fridge to take out some ice cream to hold against her forehead.  “I can’t think right now…  Amira killed me.”

“It wasn’t exactly pleasant for me, either,” Amira mumbled, rubbing the side of her head that would probably see a bump grow.  “For a moment, I thought you thought I was Kekoa and trying to slobber all over my face.”

The Unovan girl grunted and shot a look at Rhea.  “Naa.  I think I dreamed I fell off a dam when dancing, but that could be the abrupt stop talking…  Hehe.  Rhea’s drool-cheeks say she had a good dream.  Back with Jason on some beach, playing strip volleyball?  Hehe.  Did you win?”

“What kind of imagination and games do you play with Len?”  Rhea shot back with a light glare.  “Strip volleyball?  You haven’t played that before.”

Lori snickered, catching the pillow she tossed at her.  “No, but I almost did; the dude chickened out since I was sixteen and he was eighteen.  Guys got no Voltorbs, girl.  I was even willing to let him win once or twice to see what he’d do!”

“Don’t put dirty thoughts in Rhea’s head,” Amira sighed, scooting to the edge of the laid-down couch to look out of the window.  “She’s not a deviant like…”

“Pwe-pwe!”

Nova jumped up and down as a fluffy ball of fur latched onto the glass, somehow staying stationary as Ambrosia chirped to her daughter.  They fell silent as they stood up to look down, spotting an elegant Gardevoir floating near the crystal-like floor; there was no doubt in Rhea’s mind who this stunning female Pokemon was.

“Alizée,” she whispered, hearing the world’s strongest Gardevoir’s voice in their minds.

“I would say good morning, but it is a tad too early for that.  Ambrosia wishes to show her daughter something.”

The Eevee was psychically pulled away from the glass, showing a slightly puffy-cheeked frown at the Emotion Pokemon, and Rhea heard Nova’s mom’s mature, deep female voice for the first time.

“Don’t pretend like I’m the only one that wants them to join us, Alizée.  Diantha and Elaine wanted them to experience it when their Auras drew near.  C’mon!  I heard you can teleport now, Lulu.”

“Nee-nee!”

“Wait, Lulu!”  Rhea gagged as her Cosmog vanished outside without them, rainbow lights bringing her right to older Eevee to latch onto her neck, making them all giggle.  “Aww.  You’re adorable…  Huh?”

She blinked, not even recognizing she’d been teleported before she was hovering above the blue crystal of the cave with her team and friends; Alizée’s smooth voice followed.

“Pardon the kidnapping, girls, but we can’t be sure when it will be over.”

In the next second, they were in the middle of a neon-colored field of rainbow colors, illuminated minerals brightening the vast cavern they’d been transported to.  A 30-meter-deep chasm opened up below, and the two Champions were sitting at the edge, staring down at something; the train was nowhere to be seen, but the tracks were to their right.

Elaine’s face brightened in the magical space.  “Girls, come here.  You don’t see this very often.”

“What is it?”  Rhea asked.

Closing the distance, she looked for what the brunette was pointing to.  The Champions’ other Pokemon were spread across the cave; it told her how massive the place was with how small Diantha’s Tyrantrum and Aurorus were, which were actually giants, poised in the distance as they studied something in the disturbed waters.

Diantha remained quiet as they joined, and she spotted the fashionable woman’s normally tight belly somewhat pronounced; she was somewhere around twelve weeks along.

Yet, her attention was snatched by movement below, making her squint, and suddenly, she saw wiggles coming from all over the cavern.  Her lips fell open when the little green cell poked its green head out and started inching up the wall; dozens more were now crawling over the track.

“Zygarde?”  Rhea mumbled in disbelief and apprehension, gut tightening.  “Why are they gathering?  Doesn’t that mean…”

Amira gulped.  “A disastrous threat is coming.”

Diantha pulled up her knee to rest her chin, smoothing out her dress.  “Typically, yes, that is the case.  Danger isn’t the only reason Zygarde Cells gather, however.  Elaine noticed them gathering and asked if I would make a trip here with Professor Sycamore and Professor Oak.  They’re on the other side right now, observing from a different angle.”

“Why are they here, then?”  Lori asked, inching forward to study one of the cells crawl onwards as if she didn’t exist, making their way to the tracks, where they were gathering.

Elaine shrugged.  “The Professors don’t think it’s in response to any dangers on a level it would typically gather for.  He’s probably analyzing the new tunnels and system that the Diglett Express Company has made.”

Diantha nodded.  “It’s best to stay out of Zygarde’s way whenever he is determining if something is acceptable or not, and it’s important to study what he decides since he is basically the voice of the planet that balances life and death.  Apparently, the change to the Kanto underground is enough to warrant this reaction.”

Amira hummed, wincing as she rubbed the bump on the side of her head where Lori had struck.  “Stocks will probably take a hit, and the company could face some pushback from activist groups…  I’ll have to tell my dad; it could be a good opportunity to swoop in and purchase it.”

The fashion star laughed silently, looking over to study the redhead.  “I did not expect you to be the type of girl my son would fall head-over-heels for.  I heard about your illegal break-in at the Fuschia Zoo.”

Rhea held her breath as Lori gave her a look that said that was trouble.  Amira settled in beside the idol and smiled while taking out her phone to record the event, all of their Pokemon gathering around Ambrosia and Alizée.

“Lucian thinks the world of you.  I should have expected that he’d tell you everything…  How is he?”

Elaine tucked her knees up to her chin and motioned for the two of them to join her, patting the stone ground as they watched all the shimmering Zygarde cells link and combine, little by little.  Pokemon were tentatively exiting their hiding places to observe, and the Champion pointed up at the ceiling, where green energy ran across it like veins, collecting over the tracks.  Rhea passively watched with Lori as Amira and Diantha talked.

The Kalos Champion sighed, goosebumps crawling across her forearm that she rubbed away.  “Lucian is doing better since I retired from the acting and modeling scene…  Unfortunately, I can’t quit being a Champion so easily.  I’m hoping that Serena or Calem will grow strong enough to take over soon so I can dedicate all my time to him and the baby… they’re so close to beating Siebold.”

She ran a hand over her belly with a small laugh.  “Although, Calem is currently a bit preoccupied with Shauna, and Serena is invested in supporting my son since Ash asked her to…  Even the most dedicated of Trainers fall flat on their faces in front of love.  Yet, it can also spur them to break past limits they couldn’t otherwise…  It was that way for Siebold and I.”

Diantha turned her gaze to the redhead, apprehension in her voice.  “Does… my boy have a chance?”

Rhea didn’t want to breathe, feeling pressure she shouldn’t as she listened to the open and blunt conversation.  Maybe this was what Kalos women were like because Diantha had been the same way with her when discussing her failings as a mother.

Even Lori gulped as Amira took several seconds to respond, and when she did, it was with a bit of humor.  “…You know, my mother knew exactly who she would marry the moment she saw my father…  I’m not my mother.  I have very high expectations of myself and anyone I associate with, including my team… which is why I can sometimes feel inadequate against my better judgment,” she chuckled, looking over at them with a sigh.

“That being said… and again, against my better judgment, Lucian has impressed me.  Does he have a chance?  I’d say he’s earned his right to it if he keeps on the same trajectory of growth.  Although, it’s not like he’s the only boy trying to hold my hand, and in anything, there is always competition,” she concluded.  “I bet there are quite a few girls after your son back home.”

Diantha’s mouth lifted as the glow of the green veins intensified again, casting them in a lime hue.  “You have the mind of a Rocket, yet I think you may underestimate how much of a romantic you are from your mother.  Hmm…”

She gracefully rose to her feet, prompting the rest of them to do the same as the redhead and Champion faced each other.  The woman held out a hand, confusing Rhea a bit.  “In short, be someone worth the fight, and, as he told me… you are a polished jewel.  Your parents should be proud of the woman they raised.”

For some reason, those words struck something inside of Rhea, and heat suddenly shot up her nose, making her tear up and sniffle.  Lori and Elaine cooed in unison, taking her hands to squeeze it supportingly as Amira took Diantha’s hand, features softening.

“And you’ve turned my opinion of you as a mother,” Amira returned.  “I can resonate with what it is like to lose yourself in life…  My grandmother and grandfather lost their ways as parents for a time, but they found their way back into my dad and aunt’s lives.”

“That… means a lot,” the brunette whispered.  Rhea expected many hugs, but the two didn’t embrace, breaking apart instead.  “I now owe clarity to both Rhea and you for helping me see what is truly important in my life.  No matter how strong we may become, there is always something new to learn from others.”

She turned to give Elaine a teary-eyed smile.  “Thank you for this opportunity to express my heart.  I found it challenging coming up with an excuse to journey to Kanto.”

Elaine quickly waved her free hand with a giggle.  “I’m always up for my senior Champions stopping by to offer advice and help!  Plus, this happy accident gave Ambrosia more excuses to spoil and spend time with her daughter; Nova is her only kid, and it’s really starting to mean a lot to her.”

Rhea’s heart softened as she saw the two Eevee jumping around the cave with all of their Pokemon, leading the pack to explore.  However, the comforting hand Elaine had offered suddenly became crushing, making her yelp as she saw the Champion’s smile become impish.

“And I heard from a certain little ninja that I owe a certain little blonde for that spy recording!”

“Eh-hehe.  I had to get it for Nova!”  she defended as the woman laughed and pulled her into a hug, pressure instantly dying.

“I’m playing!  I love the thoughtfulness.  It’s so embarrassing watching it with Chase, but also so heartwarming…  We’re having our private official wedding after the Silver Cup.  Would you girls come?”

“Of course,” Rhea instantly replied, cheeks turning rosy.  “I’m so happy for you two!  We’ll have to—”

They all paused as the whole cave lit up a stunning green, looking to where the Zygarde had been gathering, where a large, green hound now stood.  10% Zygarde swept the hushed cavern for a moment before vanishing.

Lori’s hair whipped around as she searched for it.  “Where the Muk?!  That wasn’t Teleport, right?  Just pure Muking speed?!”

Diantha breathed out a long breath and pointed in some random direction.  “He went to the north, potentially the Tree of Beginning or the Sinjoh Desolation.  I guess you have your work cut out for you, Elaine.  I can check out the Forest of Origin.”

“Oh, yeah, totally!”  Elaine stated, brown eyes flicking to the woman’s belly before meeting her gaze again.  “I don’t expect you to go into the Sinjoh Desolation with all that unstable energy while pregnant.  We’ll split up then.  Mind if I bring Sycamore?  Oak will deny it, but he’s uh…”

“Getting old,” Diantha chortled with a nod.  “I understand.  Anyway, Alizée will return you to your cabin, girls.  Thank you for the talk, and I hope you have a wonderful journey to the Silver Cup.”

Waving her off, Rhea studied the ceiling, now imprinted with the dazzling green veins of Zygarde’s combination.  How did she end up in these situations?

Teleported into the train, none of them could sleep after that encounter, so they pulled up Sabrina’s latest battles to buckle down and study; the Encrusted Marsh Badge was their next target, and a hard one to boot.

Lori was the only one exempt from the challenge, thanks to Amira finding out the League would provide a replacement, even after giving it away.  It now adorned the violet-haired girl’s neck—a memory encased.

It made for an amazing gesture and parting gift.  It also didn’t change the fact Lori had beat Sabrina, and if Miky had died, just as if a Trainer’s Pokemon died, it wouldn’t void their accomplishment.

Miky’s Badge—special as it was—wasn't an issue as once he’d left her team, it wouldn’t be recognized if another Trainer bonded with him.

Rhea felt the pressure of this upcoming challenge; Sabrina was arguably the hardest Gym besides Giovanni, and they had to come up with a real plan to deal with her Psychic prowess.  Settling in with Amira on the bed, they lay shoulder to shoulder, playing with their phones and discussing strategies for the rest of the trip.

If she won this battle, she’d have four Encrusted Silver Badges—Soul, Cascade, and Fairy Heart, and, if she won, Marsh—which would guarantee her a spot in the Silver Cup and a path into Gold-tier.  Her only wall was Sabrina, the Psychic prodigy.

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